The Spirit of Butts Farm
Encyclopedia
Model aircraft
Model aircraft are flying or non-flying models of existing or imaginary aircraft using a variety of materials including plastic, diecast metal, polystyrene, balsa wood, foam and fibreglass...
to cross the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
on August 11, 2003. The aircraft was launched from Cape Spear
Cape Spear
Cape Spear, located on the Avalon Peninsula near St. John's, Newfoundland, is the easternmost point in North America , excluding Greenland and the portions of Alaska west of the 180th parallel of longitude . Cape Spear is close to Blackhead, an amalgamated area of the City of St. John's, about...
near St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
, and landed at Mannin Beach near Clifden
Clifden
Clifden is a town on the coast of County Galway, Ireland and being Connemara's largest town, it is often referred to as "the Capital of Connemara". It is located on the Owenglen River where it flows into Clifden Bay...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
38.5 hours later. It was recognized by the FAI
Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale is the world governing body for air sports and aeronautics and astronautics world records. Its head office is in Lausanne, Switzerland. This includes man-carrying aerospace vehicles from balloons to spacecraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles...
as a double world record flight for its duration and straight line distance of 3,030 km using an autopilot. The aircraft was controlled by autopilot for >99% of the flight in a manner similar to that used by the Insitu Aerosonde
Insitu Aerosonde
The Aerosonde is a small unmanned aerial vehicle designed to collect weather data, including temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, and wind measurements, over oceans and remote areas. The Aerosonde was developed by Insitu, and is now manufactured by Aerosonde Ltd, which is a strategic...
UAV "Laima" that crossed the Atlantic in 1998.
The aircraft was named after Beecher Butts, an aviation enthusiast who allowed use of his farm for testing of the aircraft. The name echoes that of the Spirit of St. Louis
Spirit of St. Louis
The Spirit of St. Louis is the custom-built, single engine, single-seat monoplane that was flown solo by Charles Lindbergh on May 20–21, 1927, on the first non-stop flight from New York to Paris for which Lindbergh won the $25,000 Orteig Prize.Lindbergh took off in the Spirit from Roosevelt...
, the aircraft used by Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
in his trans-Atlantic flight.
| Name: | TAM-5 | |
| Weight: | 11 lbs | 5 kg |
| Time: | 38 hours 53 minutes | |
| Distance: | 1883 miles | 3038.441 km |
| Start time: | 2003-08-09 20:00 (chosen for light wind Wind Wind is the flow of gases on a large scale. On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun through space, while planetary wind is the outgassing of light chemical elements from a planet's atmosphere into space... s at launch site) |
|
| Height: | ~1000 feet | ~300 meters |
| Fueltank: | ~32 oz | 0.9 liters |
| Fuel: | Coleman Coleman Company Coleman Company, Inc., is an American company that specializes in outdoor recreation products. Historically, Coleman is known for camping gear.... lantern fuel (normal: alcohol Alcohol In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms.... ) |
|
| Tweak: | Smaller valve Valve A valve is a device that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically pipe fittings, but are usually discussed as a separate category... s in engine |
|
| Cruising speed: | 42 MPH | 67.59 km/h |
| Size: | 6 ft, 3" long, span = ~6 feet | 1.9m long, 1.8m wingspan |